Arizona Sun Corridor

The Arizona Sun Corridor, shortened Sun Corridor, is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of Arizona. The Sun Corridor is comparable to Indiana in both size and population. It is one of the fastest growing conurbations in the country and is speculated to double its population by 2040.[2] The largest metropolitan areas are the Phoenix metropolitan area - Valley of the Sun - and the Tucson metropolitan area. The regions' populace is nestled in the valley of a desert environment.[2] Similar to Southern California, the urban area extends into Mexico, reaching the communities of Nogales and Agua Prieta.[2]

Most of the Arizona Sun Corridor is in the Sonoran Desert; to the south of the region is the border between the United States and Mexico, and to the east is the Arizona transition zone and the Mountains of Arizona. The Southern California Megaregion is to west and is the nearest other Megaregion to the Arizona Sun Corridor.

Amtrak's Sunset Limited operates three times a week, connecting Maricopa, Arizona and Tucson. There is no other intercity rail in the region; however a high-speed rail corridor is also being studied between Phoenix and Tucson.[8]

Intracity rail systems include the Valley Metro Rail, which operates within the Phoenix metropolitan area, connecting Uptown and Downtown Phoenix with Tempe and Mesa, and Tucson's Sun Link streetcar system, which links Downtown Tucson and the Mercado district to the University of Arizona.

US Airways, now owned by Fort Worth company American Airlines, was once headquartered and based in Tempe, which is in the Phoenix Valley. However, American Airlines maintains a strong presence in the state due to the history with US Airways.